


i pledge allegiance to everything now

by theatrythms



Series: i'll tell you my sins (and you can sharpen your knife) [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Attempt at rationalizing the deep realms, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, written in 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23205772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theatrythms/pseuds/theatrythms
Summary: The normal double life Takumi and his siblings seem to leave isn’t really an option for them. Hinata has always known the Dawn Dragons, so has Hana, and Hisame is only a few months old but Hinata feels like he's known him his whole life.It is still not enough time.
Relationships: Hinata & Oboro & Takumi (Fire Emblem), Hinata/Kazahana | Hana, Leon | Leo & Odin & Zero | Niles
Series: i'll tell you my sins (and you can sharpen your knife) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668334
Kudos: 6





	i pledge allegiance to everything now

**Author's Note:**

> LMAO this was ALSO posted in 2016 !!! hinata/hana were my first married pair and hisame was my first baby that i adore them . title comes from everything now by arcade fire !  
> need to specify that valla is the country , and shirasagi and windmire are two cities on opposite sides

2004 - Shirasagi -

Her hoarse, groggy good morning wakes him, rather than their crying 8 month old baby.

"Mornin babe'." He says back, settling back into her warmth.

"Did you sleep well?" Hana asks from under the duvet.

Hinata looks over at the cot, at Hisame sleeping soundly, the cause for his morning tiredness. "I guess you could say I did."

She laughs softly, almost curled up on his chest "He's growing up."

Hinata makes a face, flinging one arm over his eyes. "Noooo, I don't want him to grow up. He needs to stay small and tiny forever."

Hana looks up at him, dark brown eyes peering through the shutters of her eyelashes. "Really? Small and tiny forever?"

He takes a glance at the clock on her bedside table, the blazing letters of 05:42 flashing in the midsummer morning.

"Forever and ever."

He feels it'll be a good day.

-

Hana is slowly spooning mashed pickles into Hisame's mouth when he gets the call. Their small apartment halfway into the city centre is small and cramped, but they do what they can to make it feel like home. There's a few rules to it, which is no spending money without checking with one another, always keep the fridge stocked with food, always make sure Hisame has everything that's a necessity, like diapers and clothes and food, and remember to tell each other where they are. At the door, they have three panels, each indicating if one of them is in the house or outside the house. A samurai sword on one side for when they’re out on missions, and a coloured tile if they're in the house.

It's practising safety for the future.

"You better have a damn good reason for calling me?" Hinata says when Takumi rings, just the smallest bit annoyed. Hana and Hisame look up at the same time, twin expressions on their faces. He mouths 

'Takumi' at her. Hana just nods, and goes back to cooing at the baby between spoonfuls.

"I need to do a job, thought you'd like to join."

Hinata wishes Takumi could see the smile on his face.

"You're on."

Hana helps him pack for it, with spare clothes, a fake ID, some food, all while Hisame bounces on her hip. It takes him longer to pack with them there, as each time he manages to get something down, Hisame distracts him by doing something cute, like drool on his mother's shoulder, and Hana makes idle comments about how much she's going to miss her boyfriend. Takumi texted him to meet him at the Birthright Incorporated building at the heart of Shirasagi, a twenty minute train journey. 

Their small front hall is home to all the goodbyes they've shared over their career as retainers, ever since they started living together. The sun hasn't even set yet, orange light melting into the foyer. Their neighbourhood isn't exactly the safest, but it's not unknown that they're under the Dawn Dragon, and Hinata is hardly a meek man to let his area threaten his family. The dream--more for him than her, really--is to move out of there, maybe even out of Shirasagi, somewhere safer for him and Hana. She always shuts him down when he brings it up, so the conversation has never got past the suggestion of moving. Hisame squirms in his hold, wriggling as his dad traces kisses along the crown of his head.

"Come back, okay?" Hana says, kissing his lips quickly.

Hinata grins down at her, head cocked. "Since when do I not come back?"

He hugs Hisame one more time, trying to pour all of the love he has for him into it. Hisame is a very lucky baby to have parents so loving to him and each other, Hinata thinks, watching the awestruck look on her face. Hisame pats his starfish-shaped hands on Hinata's shaved cheeks, gurgling the most intelligent phrases as Hinata nods very seriously, like they were having a real conversation.

"I gotta go now son, but you gotta promise to protect your mom, okay?" Hinata says, then peppers kisses all over his face, making the boy laugh. He hands him back to Hana, a soft smile on his face as he hoists the bag up on his back.

"I think he's in perfectly capable hands with me, Hinata." She shakes her head, loose brown hair falling onto her shoulders.

He knows it'll be a short trip, no longer than a few days, but the older Hisame gets, the harder it gets for him to leave. But he has a duty to Takumi, as a retainer of the Dawn Dragon, and as the Prince's friend to go with him. Hana understands, as a retainer for Takumi's younger sister Sakura, and doesn't worry for him, same way he doesn't for her when she's pulled away on jobs and assignments. The Dawn Dragon clan are a nice family, and understand that both Hana and Hinata are loyal to them, and need more money and time off to take care of their baby.

(It does not mean that they are expendable.)

"I know." He kisses her again, then turns to leave the apartment, flipping his purple panel to the samurai sword, Hisamaru hidden in his bag.

-

The train from Shirasagi to Nestra isn't so bad. The plane isn't bad either. Even driving isn't the worst thing.

But walking is.

"Why, are we walking to Nestra?"

"We're not walking to Nestra." Takumi says. "We're walking to the dock that will take us to Nestra."

"And a cab couldn't've taken us?" Hinata says. "Or maybe I could've drove us?"

"Hinata!" Oboro scolds, eyes slit to accommodate her glare. Then she softens, looking at Takumi for some insight. "But why, may I ask, are we walking to the dock. _ I _ could've drove if you wanted."

Takumi stops, turning around to face his retainers. They weren't even twenty yet, but looked older, felt older, considering the seven years they'd been with each other. Hinata grew into his height and his shoulders, his figure hidden under the Shirasagi University Hoodie he wore. His blade skills were second to none in their generation of the Dawn Dragon, only on par with Hana. Takumi chose him all those years ago because he knew Hinata would become strong and powerful, a prediction he can say came true. Oboro is still as lithe and tall as always, slim hip cocked, insults on the edge of her tongue, keen wit the only thing sharper than her Naginata. He chose her at the time because his brother told him to not be bitter when girls taller than him beat him in spear fights, and realised that if he couldn't beat her, then she'd be even better protecting him.

“It’s a rendevouz with someone hoping to change allegiance, if you get my drift.” Takumi says, quirking his eyebrow. “And if someone in the Dusks knew we would be in the same vicinity as one of their top suppliers, there’d be trouble.”

"So we’re walking to avoid some Dusk from ratting us out in Nestra?" Hinata asks, scratching the back of his neck. He tries not to let his disappointment shine through, 

"Is this because the Dusks are selling in Shirasagi?" Oboro says, the gears clicking in her head. "Are you planning to sell it at the same as the Dusks or just keep it at the usual." Hinata’s head turns, because this information of the Dusks infringing on Dawn territory is news to him.

Takumi sighs again. "I don't know what exactly Ryoma's planning, but he knows what he's doing. It’s politics.”

They walk in almost silence, the sounds of evening working around them. Hinata weighs in what Takumi says, whatever plan awaits them in Nestra. He knows Lord Ryoma is paranoid as hell, which explains the walking with weapons exposed.

"Been awhile since it was just the three of us, huh?" Oboro says, after they've been walking for almost two hours. The sunset has only finally ended, leaving the night stretched above them, the skies clear in the forest. In the dark, they can take out their weapons, the soft glow of Takumi's bow the only light to guide them.

"Ponytail trio back together!" Hinata cries with a fist bump, irritating both his companions instantly. He deflates "What?"

"Maybe we should talk about what we've been up to lately?" Oboro suggests, dark hair swishing behind her. "I applied to go to college."

Takumi nods in approval as Hinata whoops, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Congratulations Oboro, you really worked hard for that." Takumi praises.

"Well one of us had to go to college! Knew you were the smarter one." Hinata says.

Takumi looks at his friend for a second, suddenly guilty for not even checking up on his friend's financial situation over the months since they last saw each other. Hisame is the man's godson, far too young to know why his parent's sometimes are suddenly pulled out of his life for serious life or death situations. The least he, or the whole Dawn Dragon clan can do, is make sure that the little boy had the right childhood with his parents.

"You know Hinata, if you or Hana want to go to college, you could just ask." Takumi says earnestly.

Hinata jerks away for a second. "Why would I wanna go to college? I didn't even finish highschool."

"We know that, but," Oboro looks at Takumi, her words already understood in his head, permission already given for her to speak them. "There's a life outside of the Dawn Dragon. I am completely devoted to Hoshido, but I wanna go to college, get an education. I mean, Takumi's almost done his law degree."

"My family understands if you need money to get a bigger house or go to college. We'd still pay you your commission for every job you do but," Takumi grins. "I really wanna see you and Hana get married someday."

Hinata flushes. Hana has a job in a local charity shop while he takes hours at a car garage; two normal jobs in their area. They have them mainly to fill up their time when they’re not on jobs or actually need money when they're in a tight spot, but it never really crossed their minds to go to school, or get a career. It’s hard to imagine life outside the Dawns, the normal double life Takumi and his siblings seem to leave isn’t really an option for them.

  
  


The two of them eyed him, waiting for whatever response he had to their asking. It actually warms his heart a little bit, that his oldest friends are so concerned. He laughs, wrapping his arms around their shoulders, hugging them close to him tightly.

"Aww shucks guys, who are you and what did you do with my friends?!" Hinata sobers "But in all seriousness, thanks guys, but I'm okay with not going to college, and not having a 'career'. Being with you guys pays enough to keep us afloat." 

Hinata took a second to look up at the clear skies above them, each little star illuminated in their own wonder. He thinks of Hana, his girlfriend that someday he'll make his wife, and his son, whose growing up right before his eyes. For once, Hinata feels excited about the future, one that'll involve his gorgeous girlfriend and his awesome son, maybe another kid or two along the way.

"But I've got Hana, and Hisame, and whatever else comes with it, which may or may not be going to college" He sends a pointed glare at Oboro, who laughs, high and bright in the night air. "And as long as I have Hana and Hisame, I know that everything'll be alright."

He thinks of Hisame and Hana again, their smiling faces. "As long as I have them."

-

Hinata met Hana five years ago, both when they thought they were far from being new recruits. They both came from Dawn families, Hinata from a longline of retainers, Hinata from a much more obscure branch of underlings. She was haughty, critical, and was the only girl Hinata had ever met that used a katana like him.

So naturally, he fell in love with her.

Sparring practice turned into movie marathons on her couch, waking up with limbs sprawled over one another, voices too croaky for good mornings, cheeks to red to even speak. Hana's parents were devoted to the Dawn Dragons, and took in the bulky fourteen year old that served under the third child without any hesitation. She taught him to cook, to sew, to appreciate the cherry blossoms bloom in spring. Her confession was frustrating, even for a fifteen year old. It still makes him laugh to this day.

But his favourite memory is when they first moved into their tiny, crappy apartment, unable to sleep with the neighbours fighting next door and the city lights too blinding for their little bedroom with only a mattress on the ground. He remembers dancing to some pop punk song on the radio, that he only occasionally hears from time to time now. They were in their socks and pyjamas, his t-shirt slipping off her shoulders, falling over each other in the hardwood floors of their apartment.

It’s the safe, sweet memories that carry him through missions.

During hour four of the walk, Takumi is as strung as his bow, Oboro is just about ready to run someone through with a naginata, however Hinata is fine. His Motorola flip phone is full of pictures of Hana and Hisame to fill his time. He gave up showing them about three hours ago, after Takumi threatened to take his phone and shove it up his-

Hinata's phone rings in his pocket, the jingle he assigned to Hana resonating off the forest trees. Takumi glares, arrow already aimed at his friend.

"Sorry Takumi!" Hinata chirps, fishing his phone out.

"I thought it was someone following us!" Takumi yells, interrupted by Hinata, who presses a finger to his lips to silence his friend.

"Hiya babe, what's up?"

"Hinata! Something amazing happened!" Hana yells "You'll never guess what just happened okay it was amazing." There's some jostling on the other side of the phone, followed by Hana's laughter and Hisame's babbling "Okay baby, say what you said earlier for me, okay? Say it for dad!"

Hinata freezes when those two syllables echo through the forest, instantly stopping his heart. Tears well up in his eyes, he can feel his joy bloom in the bottom of his gut, unbound happiness injecting itself into his bloodstream. He looks at Takumi, his best friend, and chokes out a mangled whoop of ecstasy.

"He said my name Takumi! He said Dada- oh gods! He said my name!" He cries, his beam the only thing brighter than the stars high above.

"He just said it a few minutes ago, and I know we agreed not to call each other on jobs but I figured-"

"No, Hana," Hinata says, pressing the phone closer to his ear, as if in hopes he could phase through it to join them there. "Thank you for calling. And tell him I miss him! Tell him I love him so much!"

Hana laughs too, on the verge of tears herself, all while Hisame continues his chant.

(Hinata realises something wonderful, that he's grateful for this life. Even with the danger.)

Then there's the tell-tale sign of motorcycles, revved and ready, pulling into the forest, directly in front of them.

"Hana, I love you, I gotta go."

"Hinata-"

He stops her, flipping his phone shut, and pulling Hisamaru out of its hiding spot. Takumi pulls an arrow into Fujin Yami, already aiming for the source of the noise. Oboro pulls her steel lance out, joining Takumi in the direction. They wait, with bated breath, in their foul-proof formation that has worked countless times before. Takumi stands in the middle, ready to aim for oncoming attackers, Hinata and Oboro flanking his sides, taking care of the immediate danger. It works, has worked, and will continue to work, but only when there's multiple enemies. There's something strange about three motorcycles pulling up in the middle of the forest. With a hiss, Hinata realises that they've been trailed the entire time, a failure on his part as a retainer. He’d always assumed it was people Ryoma sent, underlings tasked with watching the Prince, not a potential threat, with an unknown motive.

Or worse; an entirely known motive.

"Isn't that cute." A haughty, tenor voice says from the middle one.

"Who are you?" Takumi asks, only to be met with silence. His snarl is illuminated by his bow. "Who the fuck are you?!"

A higher, more aloof voice facing Oboro giggles "Ooh, how touchy."

Suddenly, three sets of blinding headlights are on them. Hinata reaches up to cover his eyes, but then pulls it back to Hisamaru, remembering his duty as retainer to the prince to Protect him. The man standing opposite him has a sinister smile on his face, armed with a bow less powerful and nowhere near as expensive as Takumi's. His shaggy grey hair hangs in front of his face, but Hinata doubts he can't be much older than himself. What really jars Hinata, is the eye patch on his right, leaving only his left to scrutinise him. 

"Who are these again Niles?" The man still sitting down says. In the dim light against him, Hinata can make out the lone rider, and his choppy blonde hair, his slim face and high cheeks, a clunky laptop in one hand. Oboro whispers to Takumi seconds before Hinata realises who they are. As usual, Oboro is a few steps ahead of him, but it doesn't soften the blow that three members of the Dusk Dragons have caught them, not even an hour away from the docks.

Niles mutters something to Leo, dragging a scoff out of the blond. He looks back at Takumi, ignoring the bow, and the snarl, and the angry demeanour of the short teenager.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Leo Nohr." Takumi states, a name that means absolutely nothing to Hinata.

"Takumi Hoshido." Leo returns, raising an eyebrow. "I guess we both have snakes infiltrating us."

Hinata freezes, a long, hard swear right at the front of his tongue. How bad would the public be if they found out that the criminal empire always stressed about in their news and tabloids were actually the grand Hoshido family, one of the most prestigious families throughout the country. They had standing, wealth, a history in politics and literature. Takumi's step-mother is the fucking Mayor of the city. The true identities of the head family were kept secret, only retainers and extremely trusted allies allowed to be in the know. Even though they were meeting Ryoma for a deal, the man wouldn’t actually be there, and neither would Takumi. Countless times, Hinata has been a medium between Takumi and enemies. The other times however, the enemies never lived long enough to tell their story.

"The Dawn Dragons are prouder than you Dusk scum-" Takumi spits, ready to launch himself over the barricade of his friends and onto the blond bastard's handlebars, full prepared to rip his eyes out.

"Well, I guess it just means some Dusk Dragons are low enough to stoop to the likes of you Dawn." Leo says in a bored tone.

"So do you wanna fight or something!" Hinata yells at them.

"I hope it doesn't come to that." The man opposite Oboro says.

Niles laughs. "How boring you are Odin," he meets Hinata's eyes, all coy and taunting "Things were just about to get interesting."

"Then why are you here?" Oboro tests her voice, eyes trained on the ground.

Leo smiles, crooked and devious. "We're here to pass along a warning, Takumi Hoshido. Let's let them know what we know, Niles."

"The supply you plan to swindle from us." Niles shakes his head.

"You have one of the boss' daughter’s brainwashed to your side." Odin says with glee.

"And," Leo takes a glance at Hinata "We know about the children; Shiro, Asugi, Mitama, Shigure, Caeldori," then he hesitates. "Hisame."

Hinata lurches, katana raised, ready to strike. He wants to rip his son's name out of his mouth, so he could never say it again, so he could protect him. The anger seems to storm inside him, building and building and building until Hisame’s sweet face is in front of his eyes.

Hinata gets close to Leo, until he's met with Niles' steel bow, the strained sound of metal meeting metal the only thing that stops him from running his sword through the blond.

"Struck a nerve?" Niles mutters darkly, throwing him backwards with a shove. Takumi grabs him, keeps him upright, and hisses at him to calm down. Oboro sends him a harsh glare, wordlessly reminding him that they said other names, that they know about Lord Ryoma's son. The very same son Ryoma moved out of the city almost five years ago to protect Shiro. 

All this time, they've known. It's tense, Hinata feels like a wreck, and the small smile on the corner of Leo's mouth is doing nothing to calm him down. He can stomach betrayal. He's lived on the streets, stabbed people in the back to survive. The Dawn Dragons are the only place he's ever felt like people actually trust him. It took Oboro and Takumi's friendship to stop him sleeping with knives and glass tucked under pillow sheets. It took Takumi's loyalty to turn the knife away from his friends, and onto anyone who threatened the young prince.

But this betrayal; it doesn't go down as quickly as all the other times, and for the first time, Hinata's at a complete loss.

"Why are you telling us this?" Takumi asks. "I don't doubt you have spies with us," Then Takumi snarls. "Unless you plan to kidnap one of us again?! History repeats itself I see!"

Leo rolls his eyes. "What would taking a baby benefit us now?"

"You've done it before, you bastards are hardly the type to learn from your mistakes!"

Leo bristles. He evens his eyes as his cronies mount their bikes again, a cold glare staring dead at Takumi. Hinata is only getting the exposure, unlike the direct effect like Takumi, but he can feel the rage under the surface, combated with Takumi's own anger.

"Take your warning Hoshido, do what you want with it." Leo says, closing his laptop, all while slowly backing out of the forest.

Odin waves goodbye, then ignites his engine, speeding off to join Leo.

"Send my regards to Hana," Niles bows his head, then rolls out.

Takumi looks at Hinata, suddenly paler than before. "We have to meet Ryoma and tell him about this."

"I have to tell Hana-"

"Don't." Takumi says "We wait until Ryoma says something. I understand you're worried about your son but Ryoma needs us."

Hinata nods numbly, looking down at his phone that he threw onto the ground next to him when the Nohr trio found them. His homescreen is a picture of him, Hana and Hisame, taken not even a week ago. Hana smiles up at him, Hisame smiles up at them, and Hinata can't shake the feeling that he's let them down.

-

"We've come up with the idea to send all Dawn Dragon children away until the foreseeable future."

"What?!" Hinata says, standing up from his chair. During the day, it's a business conference room for Birthright Incorporated, but when issues require it, it's a den for the Dawn Dragons, the city skyline sprawled out in front of him. Takumi grabs his shoulder, willing him to sit down. Across him, Hana is crying, Sakura stroking her soft brown hair to soothe her.

Ryoma sighs, feeling the exact same as the young man standing in front of him. "I know Hinata, I understand but-"

"Why!? Why do they have to go away! Why can't we just protect them like we've always done?! What was wrong with what I was doing?"

Takumi leans in. "Please, can we take this outside, I wanted to explain to you before the meeting but I-"

"Why is this happening?! Just because some Dusks know we have children? Where's the issue there-"

"Sometime ago, the Dusk Dragon clan took something from the Hoshido family, not just the clan. My siblings, Kamui and Corrin were taken from us, and we haven't seen them since." Ryoma's eyes soften at the young man, uncharacteristically forgiving for him speaking out at a meeting. "I want to stop this from happening again."

"Please," Hana says across him, shoulders shaking "If this'll protect him, then we have to."

Hinata looks into his crying girlfriend's face, and nods, sitting back down in his chair, feeling oddly numb after coming down from his flash of rage. 'It'll protect him. It'll protect him. Protect him. Protect."

-

Fort Jinya is a compound a few hours outside of Shirasagi. It has its own problems, but is far safer than any life in Shirasagi. Hisame sleeps the whole drive over. Hinata wishes that he'd fuss, or cry, or just need his parents to dote on him, one last time, for god knows how long. They're allowed to visit every two months, but it doesn't stop the ache, doesn't ease the pain.

They meet the servants who will now be the primary caregivers to their children, who will hold him when he cries, watch him grow up, and tend to his every whim. There are other children in Fort Jinya, like Shiro, Ryoma's son, Asugi, Saizou's son, and soon, Takumi's child, due in not even two months. It's comforting, Hinata thinks, that he won't be alone. That he'll be surrounded by other children who know what he's going through.

“We’re in all out war now, aren’t we.” Azura was the daughter Odin had claimed was brainwashed by the Dawn Dragons. But Azura had been raised like another sibling, trusted to Mikoto Hoshido’s care

They return home, heading back into their life that now feels meaningless. His toys are still here, his cradle in their room, his clothes packed away. It hurts too much to mourn the future Hinata thought of. He wonders if he would've made a difference, if he didn't go with them. Maybe it wouldn't have done a lot, but he could've got a few more hours with his boy, to hold him before handing him away.

"We'll get him back, Hana." Hinata promises that night, holding her close as they both think about their son, miles and miles away from them. It's one of the most devastating attacks the Dusk Dragons could have ever done.

The worst part is; it's not even the Dusks that did it. It was the Hoshido family who approved it, agreed to it, sent their own children away first to be the example.

And defeating the Dusks will make it all the sweeter, once Hisame's back in his arms.

So in the morning, while Hana sleeps off the tears she spent the night before, Hinata turns Hisame's panel to the door, samurai sword exposed to the world, awaiting his return.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading !!


End file.
